Are you absolutely sure about that?RogerOThornhill wrote:As I've just discovered it's a parody account.
If so they need to copyright it before she uses it.
Are you absolutely sure about that?RogerOThornhill wrote:As I've just discovered it's a parody account.
TechnicalEphemera wrote:An excellent question.fedup59 wrote:This is an honest question TE. What do you think the role of members in a party political system should be?TechnicalEphemera wrote: There is no doubt Corbyn is popular with the members and the 3 pound brigade. It is indeed entirely possible he could win, despite not fulfilling the original criteria for a candidate to get on the ballot.
There is equally no doubt he is unpopular with the electorate. The MPs are generally a self interested lot and are opposing Corbyn because they are concerned that he is going to get hammered at the election. If they thought for a minute he was in any way electable his only opposition would be the 20 odd Blairite agitators.
In theory of course the Bennite position that members should decide policy, continually hold MPs to account and be the guardians of the party to stop it deviating from the true path is correct.
In reality such an approach is an unmitigated disaster, much like communism it doesn't work in the real world.
The problem is party members are all in their way oddballs, as is everybody on this board, myself included. They tend to be very politically engaged and pay relatively little attention to the views of the general population, where they notice such things they assume people care about the same things they do (which they don't).
So if members set policy the party moves rapidly away from the consensus view (the so called middle ground). There is excellent polling evidence (well not that excellent then) that this has happened to Labour since 2015. This evidence shows Labour Policy diverging from its voters views and then re-converging a bit but around 25% less voters.
It is no coincidence that periods of time where members/activists dictate policy have correlated with periods when Labour were utterly unelectable.
If you look at what has happened to the Republican Party in America it is perhaps less contentious and easier to see. The base has become white, angry, and very right wing, the Tea Party fed off this and became the proxy for the base, resulting ultimately in Trump. This is politically toxic, because the election constituency it satisfies is too small to ever win.
In the UK if the Tory Party members set policy, our justice system would look like the village council's in Hot Fuzz.
https://youtu.be/DnqPrDN77Xg
In general normal non political people don't like this stuff, I say in general because the Hot Fuzz approach might work in the Shires. Therefore to get elected in the UK you need a carefully calibrated mapping of your party's core values to the electorate. This sort of thing is bloody hard, and is typically beyond the ordinary membership of a party.
So as I see it the role of the members is to support the party in getting elected. They also provide a core value set, and should be able to provide a brake on the leader moving too far away from the core values. Most leaders in any party get into trouble when they move too far off the reservation, similarly though they are often forced to take politically unpopular positions when facing internal elections.
So a say in electing a leader, but not to the extent they can override considerations such as electability, and a voice to be taken under advice, which while not binding should make a PLP think twice before making radical direction changes. They should also provide input into policy, policy wonks may ignore it but they need to ensure they know what their activists think.
That explains it Gove has an unusual condition. Resting O face.RobertSnozers wrote:Don't say things like 'enduring' in this context!tinyclanger2 wrote:yeah - thanks so much for that enduring visual imageutopiandreams wrote:I suspect than when Michael has sex, he's told whether or not he enjoyed it.
Hello, glad you finally made it in.Freedomofthepress wrote:Hello Everybody, some of ye may remember our paths crossing (and swords crossing too if I am to be honest) over at the other place (AS's blog) and I rarely contribute there any longer. I have been reading everybody's musing here for quite some time so decided to bite the bug and sign up.
This feels a bit like the Summer of 2011 when the Hacking story broke in terms of the fast moving narrative though looking back on that time, this feels a bit depressing as then one could feel hope and believe that times "they were achanging", how wrong one was.
We are living in historic times and it would be good to contribute to musings on the various issues.
Over and out,
PS: thanks refitman for assisting where assistance should not have been required as I realised where the problem was just now - too distracted yesterday.
A whois search for the domain angela4leader.org returns the following information.Temulkar wrote:It appears that a former Special Adviser for Policy & Comms in early Blair government registered http://angela4leader.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; on Sat.
me as wellAngryAsWell wrote:Ironic metre through the roof
Which leadership contender are you?
https://www.riddle.com/a/74657" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I got Jeremy Corbyn
(the questions are a bit limited tho )
No tick on the account...TechnicalEphemera wrote:Are you absolutely sure about that?RogerOThornhill wrote:As I've just discovered it's a parody account.
If so they need to copyright it before she uses it.
TechnicalEphemera wrote:Above,
The problem with reselection is it allows vocal pressure groups far too much power, to the detriment of the wider electorate. So on the whole best not go there.
There is an issue in ultra safe seats, but in marginals MPs have constraints. Benn was so unpopular in the 80s he lost his seat, similarly Chris Patten in Bath.
All leaders parachute their chosen mates into safe seats, they rarely do it in marginals though, as pissing off the activists has a price.
That said there are some benefits in allowing a talented outsider in rather than always the local stalwart.
TR'sGhost wrote:A whois search for the domain angela4leader.org returns the following information.Temulkar wrote:It appears that a former Special Adviser for Policy & Comms in early Blair government registered http://angela4leader.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; on Sat.
Updated Date: 2016-06-25
Created Date: 2016-06-25
Registration Expiration Date: 2017-06-25
Registrant Contact
Name: Joe McCrea
Organization: Joe McCrea
Mailing Address: Cumberland House, MATLOCK DE4 3PE GB
Phone: +44.1332742750
Ext:
Fax:
Fax Ext:
Email: info@ruddygood.com
Admin Contact
Name: Joe McCrea
Organization: Joe McCrea
Mailing Address: Cumberland House, MATLOCK DE4 3PE GB
Phone: +44.1332742750
Ext:
Fax:
Fax Ext:
Email: info@ruddygood.com
Tech Contact
Name: Joe McCrea
Organization: Joe McCrea
Mailing Address: Cumberland House, MATLOCK DE4 3PE GB
Phone: +44.1332742750
Ext:
Fax:
Fax Ext:
Email: info@ruddygood.com
So yes, the domain was created on 25/06/2016.
And a person by the name of Joe McCrea who appears to based in Buxton is the registered owner.
Which might be the same Joe McCrea who lives in Matlock Bath, near Buxton and whose linked profile is here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joe-mccrea-0381016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
And was indeed once an advisor to the Prime Minister.
And despite all his impressive list of qualifications and experience obviously failed to realise that checking when a domain was registered is trivially easy. Which I guess is why, assuming he wanted to keep things under wraps, he didn't do the sensible thing and build a website using a "holding" name ready for upload, then grab angela4leader.org after announcements had been made.
edited for stupid typo.
Benn lost his seat because of Bristol boundry changes and deselection not becasue 'he lost his seat'. That's a fabrication.TechnicalEphemera wrote:Above,
The problem with reselection is it allows vocal pressure groups far too much power, to the detriment of the wider electorate. So on the whole best not go there.
There is an issue in ultra safe seats, but in marginals MPs have constraints. Benn was so unpopular in the 80s he lost his seat, similarly Chris Patten in Bath.
All leaders parachute their chosen mates into safe seats, they rarely do it in marginals though, as pissing off the activists has a price.
That said there are some benefits in allowing a talented outsider in rather than always the local stalwart.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britai ... QS?rpc=401" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The number of hate crimes reported to British police online, including some assaults, has increased by more than 500 percent in the week after the country voted to leave the European Union, a senior police chief said on Thursday.
A slightly longer video, with the camera focussed on Wadsworth.TechnicalEphemera wrote:I am happy to take her word for it, you should be as well.howsillyofme1 wrote:Video of when Ruth Smeeth walked out
http://order-order.com/2016/06/30/jewis ... ism-event/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Seems an exchange focused on lack of ethnic minorities in the Labour ranks. I believe he also mentioned her specifically and her links to the Telegraph. Unpleasant - perhaps, antisemitic doubtful
Is there anything that supports her statement out there? Seems it was on camera
Who would have thought?http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 11496.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Brexit could create an economic crisis, Barclays chairman John McFarlane warns
Well yeah. A couple hours ago, my husband came in to show me eight pages of Doris Lessing's, The Four-Gated City.ephemerid wrote:This is beyond ridiculous.
That's all I have to say.
(
I love you.ephemerid wrote:Welcome to Freedom of the Press, and hello again minch.
My daughter and nearly son came to visit today, and we have (leftover, but nice all the same) - fruit cake, lemon drizzle cake, strawberries, and plenty of good Italian coffee and proper Welsh tea.
Please dig in, it's lovely to see you.
(You can't have the hazelnut cookies, they are the exclusive supply of CitizenJA)
)
Excellent understatement. Europe truly doesn't need us any more.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 11211.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Michel Sapin said Britain would face “real difficulties” after it voted to leave the European Union and that he was “surprised” those campaigning for Brexit did not appear to have a plan following the referendum.
There is a lemon butterfly cake in the kitchen...want it?tinyclanger2 wrote:is there a no-one ever offered me any cake and I certainly don't have any special cookies (jaffa cakes ideally) put aside for me emoticon?
I did say at some point they would start to crack if it went on too long. I bet any money my local MP is one.ohsocynical wrote:Éoin @LabourEoin 22m
Some MPs who resigned have told me privately it was partly due to pressure put upon them & then now understand the feeling among grassroots.
Rocky Road? Yum, one of my favourites.howsillyofme1 wrote:Things seem a little less fraught today despite all that is going on
Welcome to new and old friends
Going to be a rocky road but at least we can all agree that Michael Gove and Boris Johnson are incompetent cockwombles
You are most sincerely offered it....despite you being in disagreement with my brilliantly argued posts!PorFavor wrote:If it helps - I'm not particularly fond of cake. So that will leave more to go round.
(But I would take great umbrage should I not be offered any, all the same.)
I think virtual cake is cruel tbhhowsillyofme1 wrote:There is a lemon butterfly cake in the kitchen...want it?tinyclanger2 wrote:is there a no-one ever offered me any cake and I certainly don't have any special cookies (jaffa cakes ideally) put aside for me emoticon?
Which reminds me. I wonder if IDS has finished his second novel yet? The one he had to dodge several Select Committee meetings to urgently complete a year or two ago.RobertSnozers wrote:I knew he was in Murdoch's pocket, but it appears he's in Dacre's as well.Willow904 wrote:Well, I was wrong about Boris, then. Looking more into the story, it seems he was definitely set to enter the fray last night and then, suddenly at the last minute, boom he's out. "Nobbled" perchance? Gove's connections worry me, rather. There's something quite rum here.
I'd love to see his contract for the book he was supposed to write on Viscount Bolingbroke. Every book contract I've ever signed has a strict clause about delivery on an agreed timetable. Usually less than ten years!
you wouldn't be saying that if you had to taste itRebecca wrote:I think virtual cake is cruel tbhhowsillyofme1 wrote:There is a lemon butterfly cake in the kitchen...want it?tinyclanger2 wrote:is there a no-one ever offered me any cake and I certainly don't have any special cookies (jaffa cakes ideally) put aside for me emoticon?
TR'sGhost wrote:Which reminds me. I wonder if IDS has finished his second novel yet? The one he had to dodge several Select Committee meetings to urgently complete a year or two ago.RobertSnozers wrote:I knew he was in Murdoch's pocket, but it appears he's in Dacre's as well.Willow904 wrote:Well, I was wrong about Boris, then. Looking more into the story, it seems he was definitely set to enter the fray last night and then, suddenly at the last minute, boom he's out. "Nobbled" perchance? Gove's connections worry me, rather. There's something quite rum here.
I'd love to see his contract for the book he was supposed to write on Viscount Bolingbroke. Every book contract I've ever signed has a strict clause about delivery on an agreed timetable. Usually less than ten years!
I suppose he might have finished it and handed to his editor. Who, remembering his first novel fed it unread to the office shredder and it's now having a second more useful life as toilet rolls and cat litter.
What was the best review IDS got for his magnum opus... Oh yes, was it the Telegraph who said.
"Dreadful... Simply dreadful"?
Temulkar wrote:I did say at some point they would start to crack if it went on too long. I bet any money my local MP is one.ohsocynical wrote:Éoin @LabourEoin 22m
Some MPs who resigned have told me privately it was partly due to pressure put upon them & then now understand the feeling among grassroots.
Mr citizen brought chocolate rolls - please enjoy.tinyclanger2 wrote:is there a no-one ever offered me any cake and I certainly don't have any special cookies (jaffa cakes ideally) put aside for me emoticon?
Ha! Unfortunately, the system doesn't take account of the "misguided".tinyclanger2 wrote:So, if some people voting in the referendum thought, not that they were voting to leave Europe, but that were voting for people of various ethnicities, born in various locations (including UK) to "go home" - is it democratic to uphold Brexit?
I realise we can't find out, it's a philosophical question (of sorts)